Electric circuit breaker



June 18, 1940. P. THIEME:

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER Flod lay 4, 1939 Inventor: pau l Th lem e,

HEZ Attorney.

Patented June 18, 1940 ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BBEAKEB Paul Thieme, Berlin-Sudemle, Germany, assigner to General Electric Company, a corporation o! New York Application May 4, 1939, Serial No. 271,763 In Germany May 19, 1938 Claims.

My invention relates to electric circuit breakers, more particularly to high voltage circuit breakers of the gas blast type, and has for its principal obj ect the provision of an improved 5 and simplified gas blast circuit breakerthat can be insulated for high voltages and operated through a minimum number and mass of operating elements.

In the operation of mechanically driven high voltage gas blast circuit breakers, the problem Y is essentially that of the contacts, which are at line potential, and insulating the same with respect to the actuating or driving means on a metallic base at been proposed to use tubing and insulating supplying gas pressure to which is usually mounted ground potential. It has insulating gas conduits or linkages including special high voltage insulators for this purpose but such designs in general have proved disadvantageous in view of the additional complexity and cost or the breaker. Also troduced which form creepage surfaces are ina possible path for flashover in a case of high operating potentials.

It has also been proposed to operate a high voltage gas blast switch by bodily rotating the main ceramic insulating support itself.

How-

ever, this involves the movement of appreciable mass with attendant more rugged bearing complications due to the and driving mechanism structures thereby required.

In accordance with my invention the high voltage gas blast breaker or switch is mounted on insulating the contacts at high potential, and an insulating gas supply conduit is rotatably mounted within said insulator for directly operating an element of the breaker as well as supplying gas pressure thereto.

With this simpliiied arrangement the contacts are most effectively insulated for high voltage and the main ceramic support is suitably mounted in a stationary. po-

sition.

of a high voltage gas blast circuit breaker embodying the presentfinvention.

The circuit, breaker ample comprises coac tacts I and 2 arrange umstrad by way of ex ting arc interrupting cond to be connected in series (ol. zoo-14s) l with an isolating or disconnect switch. 3 in the main high voltage power circuit d.

The dis- Electric circuitA breaker.

In this type of switch the contact housing indicated at 'l is provided with a gas passage 'reading to the retractable contact I. When gas under pressure is admitted to said passage the contact I is retracted and a gas jet directed into the arc path to extinguish arcing. In the case of high voltage operation a shield 9 of suitable design is provided and is located in concentric relation to the contact. The coacting contact 2 can be of the simple butt type mounted on an insulating support It.

The disconnect switch blade 6 and the contact housing 'l are mounted at the upper part of a ceramic insulator II of the high voltage type. The insulator 'Il is of shell-like construction for receiving centrally thereof an insulating gas supply conduit I2 leading to the gas passage t. The insulating conduit I2 is rotatably mounted with the coupling I3 atk its lower end, and at its upper end is secured to a coupling I4 which forms van extension of the conduit and continuous gas passage to the housing l. 'I 'he coupling I4, which is rigidly secured to the conduit I2 is rotatably mounted at I5 in an end cap I6 which is suitably secured by means of a mounting flange I'I to the upper part of the insulator II. As illustrated the end cap I6 can'comprise an integral part of the housing 1 and also serves as a bearing support for switch.

the pivot I8 of the disconnect For the purpose of operatively relating the insulating conduit I2 and the disconnect switch for example, the coupling I4 is provided with a worm gear drive at I4' corresponding gear pivoted switch arm arranged to coact with teeth 6' connected to the 6. Accordingly, rotation of the conduit I2 ls effective to operate the disconnect switch arm 6 either to open or closed position without disturbing or supply line to the arc interrupting contacts. will also .be apparent that the contact structure at I, including the housing 1 can, if desired, be swung in a horizontal direction where it is desired to isolate the ing conduit I2 contacts in this manner.

aiecting the gas It by the insulat- In such a case the coupling Il would simply be rigidly secured to the contact structure or housing l, which in turn would be rotatably mounted with respect to the supporting end cap I6.

Referring more particularly to the driving and operating means, the insulator Il is suitably mounted at I9 on a metallic base structure 20 which serves to house ,the .operating structure and gas supply conduits for the breaker. The lower coupling member I3 to which the conduit I2 is also rigidly secured is provided at its lower end with a stub gear 2| that is operatively con-- nected through a gear rack 22 to an operating piston 23. The piston 23 is mounted forreciprocal movement within a cylinder 24 that is connected to suitable valve controlled gas supply conduits 25 and 2G for controlling reciprocal movement of the piston. Accordingly, when gas under pressure is admitted to the cylinder 24 from either gas line, the conduit I2 is rotated about its'longitudinal axis to operate the disconnect switch 3 correspondingly.

'I'he gas supply line 2l for arc interruption is suitably connected'to the conduit I 2 by means of an annular coupling 28 which serves also as a xed bearing for the rotatable coupling I3. The

coupling I3 is provided with radially extending gas passages I3' for communicating with the supply line 21 when the conduit I2 is in different angular positions with respect-thereto,

The operation of the circuit breaker is as follows: Assuming that the breaker is in the closed position shown and an opening operation is in order, a supply of gasv under pressure is admitted under the control of suitable valve means indicated at V in the pressure line 2l to the insulating conduit I2 and breaker contact structure I. The arc interrupting operation` is usually very rapid so that the isolating operation-can follow after a very brief interval. The isolating operation is eiected by admitting gas under pressure by way of the valve controlled conduit 25 to the piston 23 for'operating the conduit I2 and opening the disconnect switch in the manner above described. Thecircuit is now open and isolated and the contacts Igand 2 can return to closed position if desired. When the breaker is to be closed the arc contacts can if desired be opened by a brief gas blast from the line 2l, at which time the disconnect switch is closed by gas pressure from the line 2G. The control oi the various gas valves for the lines 25, 2t, and E'iform no part of the present invention and may comprise either manual or remote electrical control relays, or both as desired.

It should be understood that my invention is not limited to specific details or" construction and arrangement thereof herein illustrated, andithat changes and modifications may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

WhatrI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentvof the United States is:

1. A gas blast circuit breaker comprising rela-4 tively movable contact structure including arc interrupting contacts, a high voltage insulatorfor supporting a. movable element of said struclture, said insulator being iixed, an insulating gas supply conduit positioned within said insuvlator along the longitudinal axis thereof land rotatably mounted with respect to its longitudinal axis, means related to said conduit and communicating with a source of gas pressure for directing gas to said arc interrupting contacts,

and means operatively connecting said conduit to said movable element tor operation thereof.

2. A gas blast circuitl breaker comprising relatively.movable contact structure including are interrupting contacts, Aa stationary high voltage insulator vertically positioned and adapted to support a movable element of said contact structure at the upper. part of said insulator, said invsulator being hollow, an insulating gas supply conduit vertically positioned within said insulainterrupting contacts and isolating mea-ns, a sta,

tionary high voltage insulator for supporting said contact structure, said insulator being hollow, an insulating gas supply conduit mounted within said insulator for relative movement with respect thereto, means operatively connecting said conduit to said isolating means for operation thereof in accordance with movement of said conduit, and 'coupling means coacting with said conduit to form a continuous gas passage from a source of gas pressure to said arc interrupting contacts during movement of said conduit. and means for actuating said insulating conduit. c

4. A gas blast circuit breaker comprising relatively movable contact structure including arc interrupting and movable isolating contact members, a high voltage insulator of shell-like construction vertically positioned for supporting said contact members at the upper part thereof, an insulating gas supply conduit vertically positioned within said insulator, means for mounting said conduit for rotation about its longitudinal axis, and a mechanical connection between said conduit and said movable isolating member for operating the sa-me in accordance with rotation of said conduit, coupling means associated with said conduit arranged to form a continuous gas passage between a source of gas pressure and said arc interrupting contacts, said coupling means being operative in varying angular positions of said conduit, and actuating means for rotating said conduit independently of operation of said arc interrupting contact,

5. A gas blast circuit breaker comprising relatively 4movable contact structure including arc interrupting means and a disconnect switch having a pivoted switch arm, a high voltage insulator vertically'positioned for supporting at its upper end said arc interrupting means and said disconnect switch arm, said insulator being hollow, an insulating conduit positioned within said insulator and mounted for rotatable movement with respect thereto, a mechanical connection between said conduit and said switch arm for operating the same in accordance with rotation of said conduit, coupling means related to said conduit for forming a continuous gas passage between a. source of gas supply and said arc interrupting means mounted on said insulator, and pneumatic means for rotating" said conduit independentlyl of said arc interrupting means.

PAUL 'I'Hrmm/ 

